Homeless people in Tracy said they need showers, warm clothes and a relaxation of overnight parking rules at a Thursday night forum dedicated to figure out what the community can do to help those who are living on the streets.

In a forum organized by homeless advocate Marvin Rothschild and Corral Hollow Realty World owner Sue Langdon, displaced citizens were able to share with people what would really help them get back on their feet.

Rothschild is forming a group called the Coalition of Tracy Citizens to Assist the Homeless. He said he’s been trying to work with city officials to find ways for homeless people to have a safe place to sleep or take a shower every now and then, but hasn’t received much response.

“I’m not getting a positive response because we’ve got the bureaucracy of the city,” Rothschild said. “Why don’t we just come up with a solution?”

Rothschild said he started the group in an effort to get help to those who need it without bothering with red tape. He’s purchased an old motorhome and is trying to refurbish it so homeless people can stop by, get cleaned up, drink a hot cup of coffee and look at a listing of places to get help or part-time work.

“It’s the things we don’t think about, that we take for granted, that they need,” said Cathy Goodard, a Tracy resident who volunteers at Center of Hope Church.

At the meeting, where about 30 to 40 people showed up, some homeless residents talked about needing showers, eyeglasses, tents and warm clothes.

“A motorhome would help out quite a bit, a job would help out even more,” said and man who identified himself as Joe. He said he’s a software developer who has been homeless off and on for five years after he was forced to resign from his job six years ago.

Gustava Rego, another homeless person from Tracy, said that she’s trying to earn an associate’s degree in automotive technology from San Joaquin Delta College, but often can’t afford books. She said some help with that and some work clothes would go a long way.

“We’re mobile mechanics and without a place to live, we can’t do that,” said Rego, whose husband is also a mechanic.

The forum also dealt with the topic of city policy. Rothschild told about people who had been ticketed by Tracy police after parking their motorhomes in the Walmart parking lot, a practice he said used to be accepted.

Sal Antonini, who has been without a home since 2007, said he often feels targeted by police when he stops his motorhome for the night at Walmart or a secluded place. He said that he’s noticed that other RVs with out-of-state license plates don’t draw parking tickets when they’re staying overnight.

Rothschild also suggested that Tracy could pick a secluded street and have an area where one motorhome could park for the night, but be gone by 9 a.m.

The forum also helped connect homeless people with some local health workers. Patricia Alvarez-Pombo, a case manager from Sutter Tracy Community Hospital Healthy Connections, talked a bit about her company, which aims to be a one-stop place for information about resources.

Darlene Quinn, the director of Tracy Interfaith Ministries, talked about how homeless people could come to the center every week to pick up some food.

Doctor Michael Hurst from Tracy Free Clinic, Inc. talked about what his nonprofit had to offer, such as basic health care on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month that would remain free and confidential. The volunteer three-person staff plans to grow soon, Hurst said, and move into the health department building on Tracy Boulevard in January.

His announcement of a free clinic was met with a round of applause.

“All we care about is what we can do for you,” Hurst said. “We don’t want anything money-wise.”

Rothschild and Langdon felt the meeting was a step in the right direction for making it easier for homeless people to find what they need. Committees were formed to bring specific attention to things such as health and communication.

”It’s a huge undertaking,” Langdon said, “but I think we’ve got a good start.”

Contact Tracy Press reporter Justin Lafferty at 830-4269 or jlafferty@tracypress.com.